Not to Diss Gruntle

 

Gruntled to the dis-

Would you like to be gruntled? On the face of it, probably not. It doesn't sound like much fun.

But we know for sure that no one likes to be disgruntled.

So what's our option?

It turns out, "gruntle" is a very old English word (1682) that means to grumble or complain. But "disgruntled," rather than the opposite, means even more gruntled, a real complainy-face, and probably comes from an Old English word meaning "grunt.".

Because the English language has no actual rules.

"Gruntled" went out of style for a few centuries, till it was revived by some nameless writer (according to Merriam-Webster) back in the Twenties to mean, humorously, very pleased indeed.

(I'm betting it was Damon Runyon or Ogden Nash, although I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of Dorothy Parker.)

Our gruntled suspects

Anyway, supposedly the word spread like wildfire and is now used to mean "pleased", even without tongue planted in cheek.

I've never heard or seen it used at all, but I guess I'll give Merriam-Webster the benefit of the doubt.

(No, I won't.)

After further research, the OED's first citation is this, from 1938:

"He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled."

P. G. Wodehouse, The Code of Woosters

Since I've read the novel in question (and thoroughly enjoyed it), I guess I have seen it used.

As to whether Wodehouse was the originator or copped it from one of my three suspects, OED is silent. I shall now follow their example.

I hope you're gruntled with this report.

(Find this on Youtube HERE.)

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